Gilded age politics

Who gave the time period known as the "Gilded" age its name?

Mark Twain (did not favor congress)

Gilded age authors (book)

Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, published in 1873 that was not that successful.

What was the Gilded age book about?

Politics, highlighting a negative state of the American democracy.

The politics during the Gilded Age were known for being

corrupt

Note

When faced with the significant changes taking place in the American economy after the Civil war, Americas political system both nationally and locally delt with these problems by being corrupt.

The urban political machine

An organization that works to win elections so that it can exercised power.

Most famous political machine

New York Tammany hall which dominated democratic parties in the late 19 century/1800s, survived until the 20th century and is associated with corruption.

George W. Plunkitt

Became famous from writing a book describing that way that New York city’s government actually worked.

Tammany hall w/ poor people

Provided valuable services to immigrants and other poor people in cities. Tammany could help families in need.

In return for the help, Tammany hall expected votes so that they could stay in power which could allow them to control city jobs and contracts.

What did political machines like Tammany Hall want from immigrants in exchange for helping them?

Votes

Tammany fraud

Found bearded men to vote then took them to the barber to shave off their beard, leaving the mustache so they could vote a second time. Then shaved everything so they could vote a third.

Credit mobilier

Construction company that did most of the road building for the Union pacific railroad. They were accused of overcharging the public for construction cost and bribed congressmen.

Only republic congressmen, including the speaker of the house, were involved.

Who was responsible for the Credit Mobilier scandal?

Congress

Oakes Ames

Was found guilty of giving bribes but no one was found guilty of receving them.

Whiskey ring

A group of distillers in St. Louis who decided not to pay excise taxes on their product

John McDonald

A grand administration official helped distillers reduce their taxes by intentionally undercounting the number of kegs of booze.

Note

In 1875, the tax invasion grew out of control when McDonald eventually confessed and was convicted.

Gilded age REPUBLICANS

Favored high tariffs, low government spending, paying off national debt, and reducing the amount of paper money.

Gilded age DOMOCRATS

Opposed tariffs and were often linked to New York bankers and financers.

Both parties

Pro business but different businesses.

What did the Pendleton Civil Service Act do?

Conducted examinations to hire government workers

Civil service act of 1883

Prompted by James A. Garfield assassination (20th president), created a merit system for 10% of federal employees who were choses by competitive examination rather than political favortism.

Civil service effects

Made American politicians much more dependant on donations from big businesses rather than small donations.

Sherman anti-trust act

Forbade combinations and practices that restrain trade. More often used against labor unions

State government

State governments expanded their responsibility for public health and welfare. Cities invested in public works like transportation, gas, and electricity. The movement for public education continued.

Norther states

Passed laws limiting the work day to 8 hours

Reform legislation (South)

Less developed in the South because they were still in reconstruction and creating laws that limited the civil rights of African Americans known as JIM CROW laws.

West

Farmers became politically motivated over the issue of freight rates.

Laws that limied the civil rights of African Americans were called?

Jim crow laws

1870’s farmers

Formed the grange movement which put pressure on state government to establish fair railroad rates and warehouse charges.

Railroads tended to be monopolistic, they owned the track going through town so it was hard for farmers to negotiate their shipping prices.

Farmers alliance movement

Also pushed for economic cooperation to raise prices but was split into northern and southern sides that couldn’t agree.

Sub-treasury plan, 1890

Farmers would store grain in government warehouses and get low-rate government loans to buy seed an equipment, using the stored grain as collateral.

Allowed farmers to bypass the banks who was seen as the farmers troubles along with railroads.

Peoples party / populist party

Held a convection in Omaha which included a sub-treasury plan which didn’t exactly happen, government ownership of railroads, graduated income tax, government control of the currency, rights of laborers to form unions and free coinage of silver to produce more money.

Appealed to miners and industrial workers (producer class), successful with Colorado and Idaho.

West

Some were so populist that they granted women the right to vote in the 1890s which added the the populist electoral power.

Note

Populist weren’t popular because free coinage to silver would lead to inflation and rise food prices which hurt urban laborers.

Populist leaders

Struggled to unify due to racism. Some populist like Thomas E. Watson argued that black farmers were in the same boat but Southern populist didn’t want to take the fight of segregation.

James Weaver

Presidential candidate of the populist, gained 1M votes and carried 5 western states, also gaining 22 electorial votes .

Best know populist candidate

The democratic nomination in 1896, William J. Bryan who supported free coinage of silver in hoped to increase money circulation and raise prices for farmers and make it easier for people to pay off their debts.

Populist feared their ideas would be just about free silver.

Bryan lost the election

Who were the candidates in what many believe was the first modern political campaign?

McKinley vs. Bryan